Lens flare is often misunderstood in photography. While many consider it an optical flaw, an unwanted artifact that ruins clarity, others view it as an expressive, even magical, element that can completely transform an image. The presence of flare in a photo is the result of light interacting with the intricate inner workings of a lens. When light, especially from a strong source like the sun, enters the lens at certain angles, it bounces between the internal glass elements and coatings. This interaction can cause visible anomalies such as orbs, rings, streaks, or a soft veil of light that dances across your frame. These effects vary significantly depending on the quality, design, and construction of the lens.
Lower-end lenses, especially those with minimal anti-reflective coatings or fewer optical elements, are more prone to intense and chaotic flares. This doesn't always mean bad results. Some of the most striking and emotionally rich photos arise from lenses that embrace the imperfections. When I began my journey in photography, my budget was tight and my gear was modest. The humble Canon 50mm f/1.8 was my go-to lens. While technically limited, it taught me valuable lessons. Its flare was unpredictable and wild, often bursting into the frame like a prism set on fire. I didn’t understand the technical reasons behind this at the time, but it left a lasting impression. The images it created weren’t clean or clinical. They were vibrant, chaotic, and filled with character.
Flare became my visual playground. By slightly adjusting my angle or allowing just a corner of the sun to peek around a subject, I learned to manipulate how light moved through the lens. I found that a small shift in perspective could completely change the behavior of the flare, turning a distracting wash into a beautiful accent. These early experiments gave me creative confidence and sparked an obsession with how different lenses behave in the presence of strong light sources.
As I upgraded my equipment and explored more advanced optics, I began to understand how lens construction directly affects flare. High-end lenses typically contain multiple layers of specialized coatings and advanced designs that reduce internal reflections. These lenses offer cleaner, more controlled flare that adds warmth or ambiance rather than overpowering the frame. They’re engineered to minimize distractions, which is ideal for portraiture and commercial work where clarity and subject focus are critical.
But does that mean flare-rich lenses are inferior? Not at all. It simply means they have a different personality. Every lens speaks its language in light. Some whisper, others shout.
Lens Flare Across Brands: A Tale of Glass and Personality
Each lens brand and model handles lens flare in its distinctive way. Take the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 for example. It’s a masterpiece of engineering and precision. When pointed toward the sun, it doesn’t explode with flare. Instead, it offers a gentle glow, often framing the subject in a soft, golden halo that enhances the emotional tone of the shot. The flare rarely intrudes. Instead, it lingers on the edges, contributing atmosphere without stealing attention from the subject. Shooting golden hour portraits with this lens feels almost like painting with light, where every element is in harmonious balance.
In contrast, my experience with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens was more of a creative challenge. Technically, the lens is sharp and fast, but its flare has a peculiar quality. A green tint often crept across the frame, not in a subtle way, but with an almost alien intensity. I tried adapting my compositions, changing angles, even shielding the light with my hand or objects in the scene, but the flare refused to cooperate. Eventually, I moved on, not because the lens wasn’t capable, but because its visual voice didn’t align with my creative goals.
That journey led me to the Canon 35mm f/1.4L II, a lens that quickly became one of the most essential tools in my kit. Its flare behavior struck a balance between creativity and control. It allows for beautiful light interaction without overwhelming the scene, though it’s not without quirks. In certain situations, especially when shooting directly into the sun, the flare can fall squarely over a subject’s face, creating a distracting wash. To manage this, I often use natural elements like trees, buildings or even people to obscure part of the light source and nudge the flare into a more flattering position.
Ironically, some of my most compelling images came from revisiting an older, simpler lens, the Canon 35mm f/2.0. During a transitional period when I had sold a few lenses and was waiting on upgrades, I returned to this modest prime. What it lacked in refinement, it made up for in personality. The flares were bold and untamed, stretching across the frame in vivid color. I deliberately organized a shoot around that quality, crafting compositions that would showcase the lens’s chaotic, organic glow. That experience reaffirmed something I had always suspected: creative magic often lies in the imperfections.
Every lens has a unique signature when it comes to flare. Some create precise geometric shapes, others reveal dreamy veils that appear to float within the image. Understanding how your lens behaves under backlighting is as important as knowing its sharpness or depth-of-field characteristics. Mastering flare means learning to collaborate with your lens rather than fight against it.
Harnessing the Creative Power of Flare: Technique and Vision
To deliberately summon lens flare in a way that enhances rather than detracts from your photos, a few key elements come into play. First, start with a strong light source, ideally the sun, and position it just outside the frame or partially hidden behind an object. Trees, buildings, window frames, and even human subjects can serve as light modifiers. The goal is not to block the sun entirely but to let it peek through in controlled bursts. This interaction with the lens can generate stunning flare effects that add mood, motion, and depth.
Subtle shifts in camera position make a world of difference. Moving a few inches in any direction can dramatically change the flare’s appearance. Adjusting your aperture also has a profound effect. Wider apertures often yield softer, bloom-like flares, while narrower ones can create starburst patterns with more defined edges. These variables invite experimentation. There’s no universal recipe. You must engage with your scene, try different angles, and observe how light responds through your lens.
Background choice is another critical component. Placing the flare against a dark or neutral background can highlight its colors and shapes, turning it into a focal point rather than an intrusion. In contrast, if the flare appears against a bright sky or overexposed area, it can wash out and lose its impact. Composing with contrast in mind allows the flare to become an intentional, expressive part of the image.
Some photographers prefer to avoid lens flare altogether, and that’s completely valid. In professional portraiture or documentary work where clarity and accuracy are key, flare can be a nuisance. But in more artistic genres such as lifestyle, landscape, or cinematic photography, embracing flare can take your visuals to new heights. It adds emotion, unpredictability, and an organic quality that’s hard to replicate through digital effects.
Of course, artificial methods exist to simulate or enhance flare. Prisms, crystals, copper pipes or specialized filters can introduce flare-like elements into a scene. These tools are especially useful when natural light is limited. But in this series, the focus remains on naturally occurring lens flare, those genuine moments when glass meets sunlight and produces something visually poetic.
Lens flare in its many forms should not be dismissed as a mere side effect. It is a storyteller in its own right. Whether you're working with a vintage prime or a cutting-edge professional lens, understanding how it interacts with light gives you creative control. It allows you to push beyond technical perfection and enter a space where imperfections become expressive choices.
The Artistic Dialogue Between Light and Glass: Understanding Lens Flare Across Brands
Photography begins and ends with light. Every image is sculpted by how light behaves, reflects, refracts, and occasionally misbehaves. Among the most polarizing manifestations of this behavior is lens flare. To some, it's a mistake to be avoided. To others, it's a beautiful byproduct of creative experimentation. This article continues our journey into the world of lens flare by diving into how different camera lens brands uniquely render this optical phenomenon. From dreamy halos to crisp ghost artifacts, lens flare speaks a secret language, and each lens brand translates it differently.
Canon is a great starting point for this journey. As one of the most iconic names in photography, Canon has built a reputation for glass that balances reliability with character. One lens that photographers often encounter early on is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8. Known affectionately as the "Nifty Fifty," this compact, budget-friendly lens is surprisingly capable of producing vivid and colorful lens flares. In golden-hour lighting, it often creates bursts of warm hues, fiery oranges, deep pinks, and subtle purples. While not technically flawless, this flare adds a nostalgic atmosphere that suits portraiture and creative backlit shots. Its imperfections turn into advantages when you lean into the artistry of flare rather than fight against it.
Stepping slightly forward, the Canon 35mm f/2.0 offers a more refined experience. It controls flare slightly better while still leaving enough room for unexpected optical surprises. It can feel cinematic, romantic, and organic, especially during candid moments or lifestyle shoots. The way it renders light leaking into the frame can be unpredictable, but therein lies its charm.
On the other end of Canon’s spectrum is the EF 35mm f/1.4L II. With this lens, Canon shows what modern optical engineering is capable of. Flare suppression is much more controlled thanks to advanced coatings and lens elements that reduce ghosting and chromatic aberration. While not completely immune to flare, the artifacts it does produce are refined and deliberate. Clean lines, minimal blooming, and flare that hugs the corners rather than overwhelms the subject make it a lens designed for those who demand clarity without sacrificing all character. I use it frequently for commercial and portrait work where both precision and visual allure matter.
In the newer RF lineup, Canon lenses evolve yet again. The RF 85mm f/1.2 in particular is exceptional in how it manages flare. Instead of overwhelming the composition, the flare here feels like a soft edge, a glowing aura that gently brushes the frame's periphery. For portraiture, it delivers dimension and atmosphere without ever compromising skin tones or facial clarity. There’s a visual luxury in how it handles highlights, offering contrast and depth without the haze that can flatten an image.
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 exhibits similar traits. Even under harsh light, flare appears as a poetic accent rather than a dominant force. It skirts the edges, avoids the central composition, and allows photographers to shoot directly into the sun without losing detail. If you’re seeking that sweet spot between creative unpredictability and professional polish, Canon’s RF glass offers one of the best balances in the industry.
From Artistic Wildcards to Precision Tools: How Sigma, Tamron, Sony, and Zeiss Manage Flare
Moving from Canon to Sigma, we see a shift in design philosophy. Sigma's Art line is known for razor-sharp resolution and affordability without sacrificing quality. But when it comes to flare, the experience can vary. The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art, once part of my own kit, was eventually replaced due to its particular flare characteristics. It often produced sharp, angular artifacts with a green tint that felt more digital than organic. This isn’t inherently bad. For futuristic fashion editorials or high-concept visuals, that sharp-edged green flare can add a unique touch. But for more naturalistic work such as portraits, weddings, or documentary styles, it often clashed with the emotional tone I was aiming for.
Tamron offers a very different story. Often seen as a bridge between affordability and pro-level features, Tamron lenses have matured significantly in how they handle flare. The SP 85mm f/1.8 and 35mm f/1.4, for example, display a subtle, restrained kind of flare that doesn’t call attention to itself unless you want it to. In backlit scenes, you may notice soft circles or gentle streaks that can be placed artistically around your subject with careful positioning. What’s impressive is how neutral the flare color often is, neither overly warm nor distractingly tinted. Tamron seems to aim for a flare that complements contrast and preserves tonal integrity. It’s ideal for photographers who want some character but still prioritize control.
Sony, with its mirrorless ecosystem and G Master series, leans toward the clinically clean side of the spectrum. The Sony 85mm f/1.4 GM and the 35mm f/1.4 GM are masterpieces of flare suppression. These lenses are engineered for consistency in all lighting environments. Flares, when they do appear, are often faint, controlled, and elegantly rounded. For product photography, events, or commercial shoots where distractions must be minimized, these lenses are exceptional. But some creatives might find the images a bit too perfect. There’s little of the chaos that makes flare feel wild and alive.
Older Sony lenses like the 55mm f/1.8 ZA tell a different story. This particular lens is known for a dreamy, slightly veiled flare that softens images in a way that some love and others avoid. In direct sunlight, it wraps the frame in an ethereal glow that can feel like a vintage filter. It lacks the hard edges of newer models and can be challenging to control, but in the right hands, it offers a beautiful softness reminiscent of film.
Zeiss takes a unique approach. The Milvus and Batis lines focus on heritage, mood, and subtlety. Flare in Zeiss lenses doesn’t explode, it lingers like mist. It glows rather than streaks. For fine art photographers or those aiming for cinematic tones, Zeiss glass delivers a gentle, refined flare that enhances emotion without dominating the composition. There’s a vintage DNA in these lenses, and that legacy is evident in how they respond to strong light sources. It’s less about technical perfection and more about visual storytelling.
Global Insights and the Emotional Role of Flare in Image Creation
Our exploration wouldn’t be complete without spotlighting real-world contributions from photographers around the globe. During the creation of this article series, I collected and analyzed dozens of submissions to see how different lenses handled flare in uncontrolled, natural environments. The patterns that emerged were both enlightening and affirming.
One standout image came from a photographer using the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 S lens. Shot directly into the sun, the photo featured barely any noticeable flare. What little flare did appear was soft, translucent, and watercolor-like. Nikon’s newer Z-mount lenses seem to follow a disciplined approach to light management, creating clean images even in challenging conditions. This kind of performance is ideal for those who want to maintain clarity without losing the magic of backlighting.
In stark contrast, a photo submitted with the Pentax 43mm f/1.9 Limited was rich with nostalgic golden flares that spanned the frame like celestial ornaments. This lens, while compact and older in design, embraced flare in a way that added warmth and emotional resonance. It was a reminder that technical flaws can be artistic features when used with intention.
Fujifilm’s XF series adds another flavor to the conversation. Lenses like the XF 35mm f/1.4 and 56mm f/1.2 are prized for their unique rendering of flare. They occasionally produce layered, painterly artifacts that add depth and mood. Rather than suppressing flare, Fujifilm allows it to live freely within the frame, trusting photographers to use it purposefully. Coupled with the X-Trans sensor which maintains detail even in blown highlights, the flare here contributes to the film-like quality many Fujifilm shooters love.
What all these findings reinforce is this. Flare is not a flaw. It is a characteristic, a voice within the optical system that can sing or shout depending on how you wield it. Some lenses whisper with elegance, others roar with color and chaos. Knowing your tools, how each lens handles light, how it responds to the sun or a street lamp, or a flare filter gives you power. The power to shape a story not just through composition and exposition, but through how light behaves on the edge of the frame.
As you reflect on your own photography, ask yourself what you want your flare to say. Do you crave unpredictability and whimsy? Then, embrace lenses with a bit less coating and a bit more soul. Do you prefer crisp, clean results with minimal distractions? Seek out modern optics engineered for restraint.
The Art of Lens Flare: From Mistake to Masterpiece
Lens flare has long been considered a photographic nuisance by many, something to be corrected or avoided in pursuit of technical perfection. But for those who seek emotion over precision and atmosphere over sterility, lens flare is a tool of storytelling, an unpredictable partner in the creative process. It’s not just about letting light leak into your frame; it’s about shaping that light so it says something. Flare can imply memory, warmth, surrealism, or even subtle tension. When wielded with care, it becomes a way to invite viewers deeper into a moment, stirring feelings that often live just beneath the surface.
Backlighting is the cornerstone of intentional lens flare. It’s not just about putting the sun behind your subject, but understanding how even minor adjustments to your position can reshape everything. A foot to the left or right can redirect a flare from falling across your subject's eye to dancing in the background, forming an almost painterly composition. The sun doesn’t behave like a studio light. It shifts, sneaks, and surprises. That unpredictability, when embraced, becomes part of the artistry.
Rather than allowing the full force of the sun to hit the lens directly, partial obstruction can offer a more refined approach. Let a branch, a stone, or even a part of your subject obscure the sun slightly. These physical elements break the light into smaller segments, allowing for nuanced control over how the flare enters and reacts within the frame. A fully visible sun often overwhelms the camera sensor, reducing contrast and sometimes creating flat, unusable images. But when partially obscured, the sunlight breaks into subtle rays, orbs, and streaks that dance delicately through your composition.
The background also matters deeply. A flare that falls over a shadowy wall or textured bark will stand out more clearly than one blending into an already bright sky. Neutral or darker tones offer the perfect canvas for flare to shine, sometimes literally. Urban textures like aged brick or the sun-dappled leaves of a forest canopy can create layered, cinematic scenes filled with light and mood. The environment you choose becomes your collaborator in sculpting the flare.
And then there’s the aperture. The personality of your lens flare changes drastically depending on your chosen f-stop. Shooting wide open with apertures like f/1.2 or f/1.4 will soften the flare into a dreamlike mist. These flares blur the lines between foreground and background, creating ethereal visuals ideal for romantic or nostalgic portraits. On the other hand, stopping down to f/8 or smaller turns flare into geometry, structured sunstars that pierce the image with defined rays. These sharp flares evoke energy and clarity and are perfect for bold, contrast-heavy compositions.
Techniques and Tools for Creative Flare Control
One of the most satisfying in-camera techniques is what many photographers refer to as lens peeking. This involves letting the sun just barely enter the frame, typically from behind a subject or an object at the frame’s edge. It’s a delicate balancing act. Let the light creep in too much, and your image might become washed out or lose important detail. But when you hit that narrow sweet spot, the result is magical, a flare that flickers like a breath of light across your scene.
Sometimes nature doesn’t give you exactly what you need, and that’s when optical tools come into play. A simple copper pipe, sliced to about three to four inches, can be held in front of your lens to create what’s known as the ring of fire effect. This circular halo engulfs the image with a fiery warmth, framing subjects with a sense of glow and intimacy. It works best with a strong backlight and a wide aperture, and while it's not for every situation, it can give your images a signature feel.
For those who enjoy more avant-garde or experimental effects, handheld prisms or shards of glass offer another layer of creativity. These objects refract and bend light in unpredictable ways, producing rainbow flares, light leaks, and even double exposures. Used strategically, they introduce a surreal, dreamlike quality to portraits or detail shots. The key is to hold the object close to your lens and slightly off-center, allowing just enough light to bend and bounce without completely distorting the image. When paired with emotional storytelling, these effects can evoke fantasy, mystery, or memory.
Time of day also significantly influences how lens flare behaves. While harsh midday sun is usually avoided for its high contrast and unflattering shadows, golden hour provides the perfect blend of low-angle light and atmospheric haze. The sun’s warmth during this hour adds a honeyed glow to flare, softening its edges and enriching its color palette. Blue hour, just after sunset, brings cooler, moody tones and longer, more elegant flare streaks. These times offer a playground of light variations that are nearly impossible to recreate artificially.
Weather conditions can also contribute to how lens flare is rendered. A misty morning or foggy afternoon scatters light in every direction, creating ghostly, diffused flares that almost float through your frame. On the other hand, a crisp, cloudless sky can produce flare that is sharp, vibrant, and well-defined. Even humidity can help bend and stretch the light into magical forms. Photographers who understand how to read these subtle environmental cues are often the ones who get the most compelling flare-laden shots.
Lens quality plays its own role. Modern high-end lenses often feature advanced coatings that suppress flare for technical clarity. While this helps in most commercial and editorial work, these coatings can limit the organic beauty of natural flare. Some photographers intentionally choose vintage lenses or more affordable glass that lacks such coatings, embracing the imperfections they introduce. These older lenses can create wild, unfiltered bursts of light that feel raw and emotive. Their flares might be less predictable, but they often carry a character that newer lenses struggle to match.
Sometimes, even with the best planning, flare refuses to cooperate. It can flood your sensor, obliterate contrast, or obscure important details. In such cases, practical solutions are essential. Using your hand, a hat, a notebook, or even your own elbow as a makeshift shade can drastically reduce overpowering flare. These impromptu tricks often save a shot from disaster. Knowing when to embrace flare and when to minimize it is part of the nuanced dance between creativity and control.
Vision, Emotion, and Post-Processing with Purpose
Flare is most powerful when it serves a visual purpose, not when it simply appears by accident. One technique that photographers occasionally employ, though more advanced and potentially risky, is dirtying the front element of the lens to create vintage-style haze. A single fingerprint or touch of fog on the lens can replicate the flare softness of older optics. However, this method requires extreme caution to avoid permanent damage or residue and should only be attempted by those familiar with proper lens cleaning practices.
Once in post-processing, flare can be enhanced or muted to match the intended emotion of the photograph. Adjusting contrast, highlights, and black levels can pull back some of the flattening that occurs in flare-heavy scenes. Split toning, particularly in warm hues, can amplify the golden notes in a sunlit frame. Dodging and burning specific areas can give the illusion that the flare is naturally wrapping around the subject, maintaining depth and focus without losing the softness that makes flare so appealing.
Still, as much as editing offers flexibility, the most authentic flare is captured in-camera. Its shape, color, and placement are nearly impossible to replicate convincingly after the fact. Flare captured in the moment has a texture and presence that filters or overlays simply can’t be reproduced.
One particular memory stands out as a perfect example of the emotional potential of flare. During a maternity session, I used a Canon 35mm f/1.4 lens and framed the setting sun right between my client’s hip and arm. The flare nestled itself just above her belly, casting a gentle, golden glow that seemed to beat like a heart. It wasn’t just light, it was emotion. It gave the photo life, a warmth that felt deeply maternal and protective. The moment wouldn’t have had the same resonance without that flare. It wasn’t luck. It was observation, preparation, and patience.
That’s the beauty of working with lens flare. It forces you to slow down, to connect with the light as though it were alive. It makes you more present, more intentional. Every tiny shift matters. Every frame becomes a dance between you, your subject, and the sun. Learning to master flare is learning to listen to light, to let it guide your creative choices rather than merely obeying your direction.
Not every image needs lens flare. Like a carefully chosen spice, its power lies in restraint. When used too often, it can become a gimmick. But used thoughtfully, it adds something that no plugin or preset can match. It creates intimacy between the viewer and the moment, a glowing thread that ties emotion to environment.
The Art and Unpredictability of Lens Flare in Real-World Photography
Photography is built on the mastery of light, and nowhere is that dance more delicate and poetic than in the phenomenon of lens flare. In this final part of our lens flare journey, we step away from charts and studio setups to enter the unpredictable, emotion-driven world of real photography. Here, lens flare is not just a technical artifact but a creative companion, one that walks the line between control and chaos. It emerges not just from optics, but from atmosphere, from accidents, and artistry.
What makes lens flare truly fascinating is how unpredictable and organic it can be. You can prepare for a shot, meter your exposure, align the sun perfectly, and still find yourself surprised by a sudden burst of light painting across your frame. This unpredictability stems from more than just the position of the sun. It comes from the tiniest dust particles on the lens, the wind lifting a strand of hair, or humidity shaping how light scatters. In this realm, flare becomes less of an error and more of an echo, a visual whisper that enhances storytelling in a way no post-production effect ever could.
Throughout this exploration, photographers from across the globe submitted their work and experiences. These images were taken using an expansive variety of gear such as Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sigma and under every kind of natural light imaginable. Each submission painted a unique picture not just of what the lens saw, but how it felt. And within those frames, lens flare acted not as a flaw, but as a co-author of emotion.
Brand-by-Brand: How Different Lenses Render Light and Flare
Starting with Canon, we encountered some striking contrasts. The Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 is a master of control. In one romantic image taken during golden hour, a couple was backlit by a descending sun. The lens introduced a soft brush of amber and peach flare that touched the corner of the frame, adding a dreamy vignette without disrupting the crisp clarity of the subjects. This flare was gentle, cinematic, like the warmth of a memory you don’t want to fade.
By contrast, a photo taken with the older Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 showed how unpredictability can bring energy. In a joyful family portrait where kids were running through a field, a bold, rainbow-colored arc of flare slashed through the frame. It didn’t shy away or blend quietly; it screamed with exuberance, capturing the chaos and spontaneity of childhood. This was not a technically perfect image, but it was emotionally perfect.
The Canon 35mm f/2.0 revealed a different personality altogether. A lifestyle portrait showed sunlight filtering through a wooden fence, catching a subject’s cheek and hair. The resulting flare was not symmetrical or polished; it looked like a translucent wisp curling across the image, more smoke than sparkle. Older optics and limited coatings allowed more character to seep in. It was a flare that felt almost haunted, as if pulled from a half-remembered dream.
An especially insightful comparison came from two nearly identical images, one taken with the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art, the other with the Canon 35mm f/1.4L II. Shot at the same settings and light conditions, the difference was immediate. The Canon offered a soft, warm ellipse of flare near the edge, wrapping the frame in a golden hue. The Sigma produced a vivid green orb, sharply defined and hovering awkwardly close to the subject’s eye. It felt more intrusive, less romantic. This side-by-side illustrates just how much lens coatings and glass design influence not just technical aspects like sharpness, but also emotional tone.
Moving into Sony territory, we found a remarkable example of precision from the Sony 35mm f/1.4 GM. In one image, the flare was a narrow line, slicing through the lower part of the frame like a scalpel. There was no bloom, no unpredictable scatter, just a clean, defined beam. This type of flare is a favorite in editorial or commercial settings, where predictability and clarity reign. While some may find it too restrained or even sterile, its strength lies in reliability and elegance.
That said, flare doesn’t always need to be sharp or structured. An image taken with the older Sony FE 55mm f/1.8 captured a completely different mood. The flare floated like a light veil, softening midtones and giving the image the look of a faded photograph found in a dusty box. It didn’t call attention to itself but changed the atmosphere entirely. It was evocative, introspective, and gentle, a reminder that flare can be as subtle as mist and just as moving.
Fujifilm photographers shared some of the most poetic examples. A shot taken with the XF 35mm f/1.4 in early morning mist showed flare behaving like streaks of brushed light, horizontal, gentle, and painterly. Paired with the unique rendering of the X-Trans sensor, the image felt like it had stepped out of a storybook. The flare didn’t announce itself; it lived in the details, weaving into the scene like threads of gold in a tapestry. These kinds of artifacts are often unrepeatable, tied to that specific moment and condition. That’s the magic.
Nikon, a brand known for sharp neutrality, also delivered some surprises. The modern Nikon Z 85mm f/1.8 S nearly erased flare altogether in a shot with direct sun. The result was an image with almost clinical precision, flawless, clean, and sharp, even against the odds. Yet in another image taken with the older Nikon AF-D 50mm f/1.4, a completely different story unfolded. Ghost orbs in soft green and blue drifted through the frame like bubbles rising in a still pond. They were imperfect but irresistible, giving the photo a sense of movement and nostalgia that modern glass often smooths away.
Vision, Intuition, and the Power of Embracing Flare
As the submissions showed, lens flare is not simply a technical issue to correct. It’s a creative tool that photographers can choose to avoid, tame, or embrace fully. The best use of flare often lies at the intersection of vision and intuition. Knowing your gear helps, but so does your willingness to let go a little, to allow light to be more than a commodity, and to treat it as a collaborator.
One unforgettable submission came from a desert elopement. The photographer, using the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2, captured a couple walking toward the setting sun. A graceful arc of flare appeared behind them, forming a golden halo that gently framed their silhouettes. There were no filters involved, no added effects. It was just the harmony between lens and light. The flare didn’t demand attention. It offered reverence.
Another haunting example arrived from a film shot using the Nikon 35mm f/2 AI-s. In a clearing surrounded by forest, flare streaked across the entire frame like the aurora borealis. It wasn’t clean or calculated, but it was otherworldly. On film, especially with vintage lenses, flare behaves like fire; you can’t always contain it, but when it dances right, it’s unforgettable.
Understanding how your lens behaves in different light lets you shape your photographic voice. Do you want clinical precision or soulful softness? Are you aiming for documentary realism or dreamlike nostalgia? These are aesthetic choices that flare helps you define. Even more importantly, embracing flare can invite a kind of spontaneity into your process, where a moment once seen as ruined by light becomes transformed by it.
The next time the sun slips into your frame, resist the instinct to block it out immediately. Instead, move slightly. Tilt your camera. Let the light in. Study how it wraps around your subject, how it creates halos, rings, or veils. Some shots will be unusable. But others might take your breath away.
Conclusion
Lens flare is not a flaw but a creative fingerprint visual echo of the lens’s soul. From wild bursts in vintage glass to refined halos in modern optics, flare reveals how light shapes mood, emotion, and story. Mastering its behavior across brands deepens not only technical skill but artistic vision. Whether you seek dreamy atmospheres or crisp realism, understanding how your lens dances with light empowers you to create intentionally. Let flare guide your curiosity, challenge your control, and awaken new ways of seeing. In every shimmer and streak lies a chance to make your photography truly unforgettable. Let the light speak.